Regulating system



A. A. TIRRILL.

REGULATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-19,19I8.

1,396,898, Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR MQ 'Z Q M/en 4. 72mm ALLEN A. TIRBII'L, OF PITTSIBURGH PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

REGULATIN G SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

Application filed September 19, 1918. Serial 170,254,760.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALLEN A. TIRRILL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Regulating Systems of which the following is a specification,

My invention relates to electrical regulating systems and particularly to electric regulators of the vibrating-contact type.

One object of my invention is to rovide a regulating system of the above-indicated character that shall respond quickly, and with substantially no time lag, to any voltage variation in a supply circuit and be substantially free from the contact troubles which are frequently encountered in regulators of the vibrating-contact t pe.

In regulators of the vlbrating-contact type, it is customary to provide a very sensitive main control element that is operated in accordance with the voltage obtaining in the supply circuit. A diflerential relay, that is governed by the main-control element, is adapted, in turn, to govern the operation of the main control element and of an exciter generator which regulates the voltage of the main generator that is connected to the supply circuit. It is very desirable, in regulators of this type, that the differential relay be quick acting and be operated in a manner to prevent excessive contact trouble in the main control element.

According to my invention, resistors are severally connected in series with the windings of the differential relay for increasing the speed of the rela and resistors are severally connected in s nut to the windings of the differential relay in a manner to prevent excessive contact trouble in the main control element.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a regulator system constructed in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the circuits completed through the windings of the difierential relay.

Referring to the drawing, a generator 1,

comprising an armature 2 and a field windmg 3, is connected across a supply circuit comprising conductors 4, 5 and 6. he field winding 3 of the enerator is connected, through an adjustab e resistorS, to an auxiliary exciting generator 7. The exciting generator 7 com rises an armatur'e 9 and a shunt field winding 10 that is connected in circuit with an adjustable resistor 11.

A regulator, comprising a main control element 12 and a differential relay 13, is em plog ed for short-circuiting the resistor 11, un er predetermined conditions, to regulate the voltage of the generator 1.

The main control element 12 comprises a reslliently mounted contact member 14 and a cooperatlng contact member 15 that is mounted upon a lever 16. The lever 16 is pivotally mounted upon abell-crank lever 17. counterweight 18 is attached to one end of the lever 16, and a solenoid core 19, that is controlled b a winding 20, is attached to the opposite end of the lever. The windmg 20 is connected across the supply conductors 4 and. 6 by means of a transformer 21 and thus efiects operation of the contact members 14 and 15 in accordance with the voltage obtaining in the supply circuit.

A winding 22, that is intermittently connected to the transformer 21 in a manner to be hereinafter set forth, operates upon a core member 23 that is pivotally attached to the bell-crank lever .17 near one end thereof, for the purpose of effecting vibration of the contact member 15. The core members 19 and 23 are respectively provided with dashpots 24 and 25 for retarding their movements, and a retractile spring 26 is connected to the bell-crank lever 17 for counterbalancing a portion of the weight of the core 23.

The difi'erential relay 13 comprises two pairs of differential windings 27 and 28 and an armature 29 that is retracted by means and 28 are simultaneously energized, for

effecting engagement of the contact members 31 and 32. The winding 28 is constantly energized by a battery 33 through a circult including substantially non-inductive resistors 34 and 35. The winding 27 is intermittently connected to the battery 33, through substantially non-inductive resistors 36 and 35, by means of the contact members 14 and 15. Two resistors 37 and 38 are respectively provided for shunting the windings 27 and 28 in order toprevent excessive burning and wear of the'contact members 14 and 15 due to the inductance of the differential relay windings. The contact members 31 and, 32

' winding The relay resistors are w ich may be of any desired type or kind, the relay 39 serving to short-circuit a portion of the resistor 4lfor efiecting intermittent operation of the main-contact relay by means 0 the coil 22, and the relay 40 serving to short-circuit the resistor 11 which governs the excitation of the exciter 7 and, consequently, the voltage of the main generator 1. Assuming the system to be in the condition illustrated in the drawing and the voltage of the supply circuit to be suddenly lowered; the energization of the winding 20, which is connected across the supply conductors 4 and 6 by means of the transformer 21, is reduced to permit enga ement of the contact members 14 and 15. pon engagement of the contact members 14 and 15, a circuit is completed from the battery 33 through the resistors 35' and 36 and the 27 to effect simultaneous energization of the two differential windings 27 and 28. The two windin s 27 and 28 neutralize the action of eachot er and permit engagement ofthe contact members 31 and 32 to effect operation of the relays 39 and 40. 40, as hereinbefore set forth, short-circuits the resistor 11 and, accordingly, increases the excitation of the exciter 7 and the voltage of the generator 1. The relay 39 short-circuits a portion of the resistor 41 which is included in the circuit of the winding 22. Consequently, the energization of the winding 22 is increased to raise the core armature 23, thereby operating the levers 17 and 16 to effect disenagement of the contact members 14 and 15. he contact members 14 and 15 may again be brought into engagement with each other and the intermittent vibration of the contact member 15 be continued, as described for re ulating the voltage of the supply circuit. he employment of the, resistors 34 and 36 in series with the differential 28 and 27 effects a material increase in the speed of operation of the relay but it also causes a correspondingly increased tendency for the contacts of the main control element to stick together. However, I have discovered, by experiment, that, if two equal connected in shunt to the two difierential windings illustrated in Fig. 2 of thedrawing, the sticking of the contact members, which is occasioned by increasing windings the speed of the relay, is substantially obviated.

Modifications in the system and arrangement and location of parts may be made within the spirit and scope of'my invention, and such modifications are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a regulator, a relay having two differential windings, resistors severally connected in series with, and in shunt-to, said windings, and means for opening and closing the circuit of one of said windmgs.

2. In a regulator, a relay having two differential windings, contact members for opening and closing the circuit of one of said windings, resistors severally connected in series with the windings for increasing the speed of the relay, and resistors severally connected in shunt to the windings for preventing sticking of the contact members.

3. In a regulator, a relay having two differential windings, one of said windings being normally energized, contact members for eifectin intermittent energization of the other wmding, and resistors connected in shunt to the windings for preventing stickingof the contact members.

4. In a regulator, a relay having two dif- ,ferential windings, means for constantly energizing one of said windings, contact members for effecting intermittent energiza tion of the other winding, resistors severally connected in shunt to the two windingsfor preventing sticking of the contact members, and resistors severally connected in series with the two windings for increasing the speed of the relay.

5. A regulator comprising a relay having differential windings, means for effecting intermittent energization of one of the windings, resistors respectively in series with the windings, and resistors respectively in permanent shunt circuits to the windings.

6. A regulator comprising a relay having differential windings, means for eiferting intermittent energization ofone of the windings, substantially non-inductive resistance. in series with the windings, and substantially non-inductive resistance permanently in shunt to the windings.

' In testimony whereof, subscribed my name this 11th day of Sept,

ALLEN A. TIRRILL.

I have hereunto 

